This webinar is presented by Inbal Gral Azulay, Ph.D., and Hila Ritter-Widenfeld, MSc
Date: Thursday, December 11, 2025
Time: 1:30 pm EST - 2:30 pm EST
Webinar length is approx 90 mins, ZOOM link will be sent a few days before the event.
Many psychotherapists in Israel provide therapeutic assistance during times of crisis and have developed methods of intervention in those difficult times. In this lecture, we will describe the experience of educational psychologists, who worked in various municipals centers during the 7th of October events and the "Iron Swords" war, and their therapeutic and systemic work with different sectors, identifying the "Circles of Vulnerability".
Understanding the complexity of the situation, which must be addressed fully and comprehensively, steps have been gradually taken to create support programs for various educational and community systems. Educational teams at schools were accompanied by professional teams, and were provided with tools and strategies to help adults and children in coping with a difficult and complex time. Their work, among other things, involved restoring a sense of continuity and security, by relying on familiar routines, and identifying personal and community support networks and strengths, with an understanding that difficult and unusual reactions to traumatic events are in fact normal reactions to abnormal situations. Following the acute treatment, vulnerable people were referred to long-term psychotherapy.
The therapeutic-systemic work will be illustrated with a case study of family therapy, conducted at Shorashim Center during the "Iron Swords" War. The webinar will present intrapsychic and interpersonal processes that family members went through in the context of an ongoing war period, characterized by discontinuity, fears, traumas, and losses. The webinar will describe the ways in which family relationships, and personal and family resilience were strengthened and enhanced, including working and communicating with support networks, community and public services. The case presentation will be accompanied by theoretical concepts of systemic, dynamic, and integrative theories and models, such as: the Relational Theory, the Family Life Cycle model, Structural, Strategic, Intergenerational, Narrative, and Experiential approaches, as well as models of emergency care and resilience. We will also explore the therapist's experiences when collective trauma meets both therapists and clients in the therapy room.
- Learning objectives:
Understand and explore the Israeli experience characterized by unimaginable chaos and an ongoing traumatic event. - Explain the principles of treating children returning from captivity from a developmental perspective.
- Identify the psychological principles that educational psychologists use when accompanying systems, professionals, parents, and children.
- Explore the significance of family and couple systemic work which includes collaboration with public services and support networks.
- Apply theories and models in therapeutic work with families and couples during times of crisis, including the effect of collective trauma on the therapy process.
Dr. Inbal Gral Azulay is an expert educational neuropsychologist and supervisor, and a certified family and couple therapist and supervisor. She is a co-owner and co-manager of Shorashim center in Israel.
Inbal has over 20 years of experience, working in a private clinic, as well as a director of the Psychological Educational Service in Misgav regional council in her public work.
She is also working as a lecturer at Shorashim center. Inbal completed her Ph.D. at OISE/ University of Toronto.
Hila Ritter-Widenfeld, MSc, is an expert educational psychologist, an organizational psychologist, and a certified family and couple therapist and supervisor. She has completed her Master’s degrees in occupational psychology and in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy at the University of Hertfordshire and the University of London, in England.
She is a co-owner and co-manager of Shorashim Center in Israel. Hila has over 20 years of experience, working in clinical practice at public mental health and psychological services in Israel and in England, as well as working in a private clinic. She is also working as a lecturer at different academic institutions, including the School of Family and Couple Therapy at Shorashim Center, as well as in the Department of Psychology at the University of Haifa, and the College of Advanced Studies in Educational Psychology.
Shorashim Center is a private psychotherapy center for individual, couple and family therapy for adults, adolescents, and children. In addition, it is a psychotherapy school which qualifies family and couple therapists. The center is accredited by the Israeli Association for Couple and Family Therapy for training and certification. The school provides state of the art study programs and courses as well as practical training and supervision.
The therapists at the center are highly qualified and certified therapists, as well as trainees and students who are under supervision. All trainees have a Master degree, or are in the process of completing their Master degree at various academic institutions. The therapists are professionals in different domains, such as: Psychology, Social work, Educational counseling, art therapy and clinical criminology.
Shorashim Center aims at contributing to the community: the trainees at our community clinic provide psychotherapy for clients, and benefit from a constructive and supportive learning environment. Clients can receive low-cost psychotherapy, allowing them to receive accessible and long-term therapeutic care.
From Crisis to Healing and Hope
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